Connie Chung reflects on her trailblazing career and confronting rampant sexism

Transcript

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Geoff Bennett: Over her decades-long career, Connie Chung covered everything from the Watergate scandal to conflict overseas, landing sought-after exclusive interviews along the way.

Her new memoir, called simply "Connie," paints a fuller picture of what actually unfolded behind the scenes.

Amna recently sat down with the iconic journalist.

Amna Nawaz: On the air, millions watched as Connie Chung reported from the front lines of history, covering U.S. presidents and elections, major world events, and landing interview after interview with major newsmakers.

But, off-camera, Chung battled sexism and racism at nearly every turn, working through the ranks to make history as the first Asian American and just second woman ever to anchor a national evening newscast.

For the first time now, she's opening up about what it took professionally and personally to get there.

Connie Chung joins me now.

What an honor. Thank you for being here.

Connie Chung, Author, "Connie: A Memoir": I'm honored to be with you. And I'm so proud of you, Amna.

Amna Nawaz: I'm just curious about what drew you into this field in the first time.

In reading your book, I learned a lot about your family. I know your parents emigrated from China in the 1940s. You were born and raised here. No one in your family was a journalist.

Connie Chung: No.

Amna Nawaz: What was it about this field that said this was something you wanted to do?

Connie Chung: I was born in Washington, D.C., so I knew Capitol Hill and everything.

But what I really enjoyed was seeing reporters dashing around and asking questions, impertinent questions, of members of Congress. And I thought, this is what I want to do.

Amna Nawaz: When you get your very first job at a local TV station, you're one of the only, if not the only woman oftentimes in the room, certainly the only Asian American in the newsroom. And you diagnose in your book some of the men that you work with what you call big-shot-itis.

You write this: "It was characterized by a swelling of the head, an inability to stop talking, self-aggrandizing behavior, narcissistic tendencies, unrelenting hubris, delusions of grandeur and fantasies of sexual prowess."

Safe to say you don't hold back in this book, Connie, but how did you cope with all that?

(Laughter)

Connie Chung: I found them insufferable. And it was a syndrome. So I did a crazy thing. I decided that I would be one of them. I would try to be one of the boys.

I would take pages from their playbook. I would walk into a room with bravado. I would command respect because -- I was much taller ten because I would wear four-inch heels. I wanted to be eye to eye with the men. And I took on a sassy bawdiness, which I don't recommend. It's just that...

Amna Nawaz: Bawdiness, meaning you were the first one to crack an inappropriate joke or curse along with the guys.

Connie Chung: Exactly. You got it.

And it was disarming, frankly. They knew after a while, after I'd been around the newsroom a bit, that I could get to the bad side faster and funnier than they could. And they were left flummoxed. It was a different era.

Amna Nawaz: Yes.

Connie Chung: Not that a lot has changed.

Amna Nawaz: You don't think a lot has changed?

Connie Chung: Well, I think there's a type of acceptance that women have.

But I know women who are still experiencing sexism. And I know Chinese people or Asians experience racism. But it's getting better in some ways. There is a better level of equality, but it hasn't reached parity.

Amna Nawaz: You do go on to land what you call your dream job.

Connie Chung: Yes.

Amna Nawaz: And you break barriers in the process. In 1993, you're named co-anchor of "The CBS Evening News" alongside Dan Rather.

In that moment, do you feel like all of the hard work -- because you had a reputation for being the first to show up, working seven different shifts. Do you feel like it all paid off, it was worth it, all the sacrifice?

Connie Chung: When I got that job -- I had always wanted to be Walter Cronkite. He was trusted, he was a fair, and he was not -- he did not suffer from big-shot-itis.

He was really a nice person. To me, sitting in half of Uncle Walter's chair was the ultimate. So I thought I had really hit the jackpot. It was beyond the jackpot. It was beyond thrilling.

Amna Nawaz: It was two years later, though, that that was taken away from you.

Connie Chung: Yes, it -- well, I was...

Amna Nawaz: And Dan Rather went back to solo.

Connie Chung: Solo anchoring, yes.

And I think it was coming. I could feel it. I could sense it. And I feared it greatly. But then when the axe fell, I thought, oh, my God, it really happened.

Amna Nawaz: Why do you think it fell?

Connie Chung: Well, for one thing, it just wasn't working. I think it was very hard for Dan to move over and share the seat.

I think it didn't matter if I was a man, a woman, or an animal, or a plant. He was not going to be happy.

Amna Nawaz: You do write about the next chapter of your life that opens up very suddenly after you lose that job. And that is when you and your husband, the iconic TV host, Maury Povich...

Connie Chung: Yes.

Amna Nawaz: ... learn you're going to be able to adopt a baby boy after years of trying to start a family.

You use a phrase when you write about it in the book that I think a lot of women grapple with, and that is the idea of having it all.

Connie Chung: Yes.

Amna Nawaz: Say, I'd succeeded in having it all. What did that mean to you then?

Connie Chung: Well, I see people like you and other women. You know what I don't know is, are you married with children?

Amna Nawaz: I am married with two young children, yes.

Connie Chung: Two young children?

Amna Nawaz: Yes, two girls, 10 and 8.

Connie Chung: Oh, my God. How do you do it?

(Laughter)

Connie Chung: Seriously.

Amna Nawaz: I can ask you the same question.

Connie Chung: No, no.

But, see, I did it backwards. When I was dumped and feeling I had left my life on that anchor desk, because it had been all-consuming -- you know how the news business is. It's so consuming. Two days later, we get the call that Matthew is going to be our son, and he would be born.

I thought to myself, this was meant to be. So, for me, I had a career for a long time, and then I had time to spend with my son, because I never, never would have quit. My sister said, one door closes, another one opens, that wonderful cliche, but it was true.

Amna Nawaz: Connie, there is an entire generation of women, myself included, who get to have these careers today because of the paths that you blazed and because of the doors that you kicked down.

And there's also an entire generation of women who literally named their daughters after you. There was this wonderful New York Times feature called "Generation Connie" that profiled all of these women. You got to meet them. What was that like?

Connie Chung: I was -- it was the most glorious day that I can ever imagine.

This young, indefatigable reporter named Connie Wong discovered it, and she was determined to find out how many Connies were out there. And she found so many. It became quite a sisterhood of Connies. So when I walked in to take a photograph with about a dozen Connies -- so when I walked into that room, I was just so taken aback.

And the Connies, certain Connies started crying, and I started crying. It was a moment that I will never forget. The Connies really gave me permission, because I'm so Chinese. I'm so humble. I couldn't get my arms around the idea that maybe I did leave a legacy.

Amna Nawaz: I am among many who are grateful that you did it the way that you did.

Connie Chung: Oh. Now, you know, I'm not a crybaby, but you're going to make me cry.

(Laughter)

Amna Nawaz: The book is "Connie: A Memoir." The author is the iconic Connie Chung.

Connie, thank you so very much.

Connie Chung: Thank you.